BMW Will Transform Lineup To Sell Over 100,000 EVs By Next Year

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This massive revolution for BMW will mean that many of its cars will get a makeover.

The wild and wacky saga of Germany’s internal warfare over the future cash cow that is the electric car market has only gotten fiercer because as Reuters reports, BMW is about to go balls to the wall. Chief Executive Officer Harald Krueger mentioned that the automaker would be expanding its electric car operations by two thirds so that it will sell over 100,000 EV models by 2017. As of this writing, BMW has already sold 100,000 EVs since 2013 when it began selling its only fully electric model, the i3.

To hit the goal, BMW needs to expand its electric car sales by 60,000 units this year. Last year, the Bavarian automaker only managed to move 25,000 i3 models, so a new strategy will be used to help move more electric cars. The two-pronged approach begins with the i3 itself. This year BMW will debut a refreshed i3 with an upgraded electric powertrain that will net an additional 50 percent increase in range. It’s unclear if that will be enough to more than double the i3’s sales, but given how unlikely that sounds, BMW has more tricks up its sleeve. One of the main problems with the i3 is that it bears a polarizing design that not everyone likes.

With the i5 hitting the dealerships soon wearing the same off-putting body panels, it’s questionable whether BMW can hit its sales target with the i range alone. That’s why engineers at the Blue and White Roundel have toiled to make it so that some of BMW’s standard models get the EV treatment. First up is the 3 Series, the marquee’s strongest seller. Its flagship 7 Series and X5 SUV will follow, ensuring that some of BMW’s most important models are electrified to win over customers that may have been put off by the i range’s design language. This ambitious target may be tough for BMW to meet even with the current acceptance of electric cars, but even getting close will be a win for the automaker.